Alumni group fighting to keep Pittsburgh-area school from going co-ed

SALTSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - For 136 years, The Kiski School in Saltsburg has been solely educating boys.  

KDKA-TV reported earlier this month that the school announced it was switching to co-ed, ending the more than century-long tradition.

Over the weekend, alumni, part of a group called the Friends of Kiski Prep, said they had raised $530,000, contingent on the school remaining an all-boys school.  

"We'd like to ultimately build the endowment to a point where we never get to this place again, and the school can remain for the next 136 years the way it has for the last 136 years," Matt Marcenelle said, the vice chairman of the Friends of Kiski Prep.  

Marcenelle said as a graduate of The Kiski School, he knows the benefit of it being offered to boys only.  

"Kiski boys have built up brand equity for 136 years. There's reams and reams of data that show single-sex high school education, that window between 14 and 18 years of age is very crucial. There's minimized distractions. Boys learn better and do better on skill sets, including math and English," Marcenelle said. "We are the innovators. We're taking something that has been tried and true over a long period of time, and we're trying to spread the word and get back to it. We want to work with the Kiski Leadership team."  

Marcenelle said leadership at the school did not share their plans for the switch to co-ed and believes the school is struggling financially, leading them to open enrollment to girls now.  

"If there's people willing to donate money and stabilize the school financially, we don't understand why you wouldn't want to do that. This isn't rocket science," Marcenelle said.  

He said the Friends of Kiski Prep are fighting to keep the school the same as it's always been. 

"Kiski Prep is an iconic institution nestled away here in Western Pa. It's a gem. It's an option for a lot of families like it was for mine. It really set me on a trajectory to be the person I am today," Marcenelle said.  

KDKA-TV contacted the Head of School, Christopher Brueningsen, on Wednesday for comment regarding the money being raised. The school sent us this statement:  

"In recent years, maintaining Kiski as an all-boys school has required substantial fundraising due to declining interest in single-sex boarding schools, rising financial aid costs, and a post-pandemic drop in international student enrollment. Our "For the Boys" campaign, launched in 2020, has raised significant funding for operational support, and our pressing financial needs were communicated in dozens of donor appeals to alumni. 

We sincerely respect the effort of the "Friends of Kiski Prep" group to raise money to keep Kiski an all-boys school. Our understanding is that their "$500,000 raised" is a conditional pledge for $50,000 per year over a period of 10 years, not a cash donation of $500,000 that has been received. Since the pandemic, Kiski has been raising money at a rate of close to $2 million per year to maintain our all-boys boarding model. Fundraising at this pace is simply not sustainable for a school our size. 

A Board of Trustees Task Force, formed last year, explored a variety of modifications to Kiski's business model, including enrollment reduction, school mergers, and the introduction of a junior boarding program. Extensive analysis produced financial models that objectively affirmed the necessity of transitioning to co-education for Kiski's continued growth and success." 

Some Saltsburg residents KDKA-TV talked to on Wednesday had mixed feelings about the change but believe it could be for the best.  

"Maybe it's time for the tradition to change," Vicent Disascio said.  

"I think girls should have an opportunity to go there too. It's a really good school," Randall Strong said, another Saltsburg resident.